Raymond J. Labbe

Ray Labbe, Elder Class of 1941, began working for the U.S. Postal Service after graduation. When Pearl Harbor was attacked later that year, he joined the Marines and was assigned to the Pacific Theater during World War II to serve his country. Returning home, he married his high school sweetheart, Thelma Schmarr, and resumed his postal carrier route in Cheviot. Ray’s career progressed as did the growth of his family, resulting in six daughters and three sons, and built a new home moving to the west side of Cincinnati, Miami Heights. Ray and Thelma were staunch Catholics, ensuring that the older girls attended Ursula (Donna) and Mercy (Nancy) high schools and the two older boys graduating Elder - Jim in ‘68 and Paul in ‘71. Ray’s career advanced to where he was helping to design and implement bulk mail facilities across the nation based out of Washington D.C., so the rest of the family (Pat, Mary, Tom, Theresa, and Betsy) attended schools in Maryland before returning to the Fairfield, OH area. Ray enjoyed his children and 17 grandchildren, living life to the fullest with fond memories of his time at Elder and participating in many activities, including the band. This scholarship has been established so that future students would benefit from achieving the Altiora experiences of Elder!